Health Department offers free mumps vaccine to U of I students

Wed August 5, 2015

The DuPage County Health Department (DCHD) is reminding students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) to receive a booster shot of the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine as soon as possible, even if they have already received one or two previous MMR vaccinations.

DCHD is joining the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) and the McKinley Health Center which are recommending the mumps booster shot to address a mumps outbreak among UIUC students.

In addition, DCHD will be offering limited free MMR vaccine to students registered at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6, at Central Office, 111 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton. Please call (630) 682-7400 to schedule an appointment. Students who present a valid UIUC ID card will be eligible to obtain the vaccine at no cost.

"We continue to see new mumps infections in students at the University and are working to stop the spread," said IDPH Director Nirav D. Shah. "While most cases on campus have already received two doses of MMR, a third dose may help control the outbreak. Although the vaccine against mumps is extremely effective, it is not perfect. This is why it is important for those who can be vaccinated, to take this extra step and potentially help protect those around them."

DCHD recommends that students planning to take classes this fall on the Urbana-Champaign campus receive the booster vaccine as soon as possible from their local healthcare provider, local health department, health clinic, or pharmacy. Immunity takes two weeks to develop after receiving a vaccination.

In addition to the booster shot, it is important to practice good health habits to reduce the spread of disease, including washing your hands frequently with soap and water, not sharing eating utensils, drinking cups, or cigarettes, cleaning frequently touched surfaces, and minimizing close contact with people when sick.

A two-day special MMR vaccine clinic for students, staff and faculty will be held at the ARC Building at UIUC from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6 and Friday, Aug. 7. During that time, University of Illinois students who present a valid ID card will be eligible to obtain the vaccine at no cost, and CUPHD will provide free vaccinations to staff and faculty.

Information about future vaccination opportunities through McKinley Health Center will be posted at the McKinley website http://www.mckinley.illinois.edu. You can also "Like" Champaign-Urbana Public Health District and Champaign County Prepares on FACEBOOK to keep up with the latest information related to public health. Information about mumps can be found on the IDPH website at www.dph.illinois.gov.